Jack Hoban is a former active duty U.S. Marine Corps Captain and long time practitioner of martial arts. He is a Shihan Senior Instructor in the Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu and Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu systems under Grand Master Masaaki Hatsumi in Japan and has authored three books on warriorship. Mr. Hoban also holds an MBA and is an executive in the healthcare industry.

Seminar Overview

July 15th and 16th we had the 2nd Texas Shidoshi seminar. 8 teachers
and 45 students from Austin, Lake Jackson, Pasadena, The Woodlands
and all over the state came to share the art.

We started the day by bowing in, using a Kamidana that John Hidalgo
brought then Shidoshi Kurt Haines was first to teach. Having just
gotten back from Japan he showed Nagato style Gyokko ryu. He
stressed getting the kata right before going to henka. If you move
in the kata correctly you should be in the right place to cause
maximum pain to the opponent. It was some of the basic kata but a
different spin than I have seen in a long time.

After a water break, Shidoshi Brian Tritico went over some of the
higher level Kata from Shinden Fudo Ryu. He then demonstrated ways
to control the opponent by being in the right place and the timing
needed to get there. Watching Brian throw his students was awesome.
We broke for lunch and took over the Schlotsky's then back to
training

Shidoshi Beto Frausto was there with 400 pound Gorilla products and
he showed how to gain control of the opponents wrists. While not
grabbing but putting your hand on or near the wrist and applying
pressure when you get their balance. I have always enjoyed wrist
techniques but they are really sore today after taking some abuse.

John Hidalgo took Shidoshi Jay Hardy's place as he had a family
emergency and could not make it. John taught how to easily move or
throw your opponent by putting yourself in the best place during
basic techniques. It is always fun doing basics especially when he
brought out the hanbo to lock and throw the Uke.

Like the Houston Shidoshi seminar we had one instructor do a tech.
and the next would do a henka from the first tech. It showed the
incredible amount of talent in the Texas Bujinkan and diversity of
style.

We closed the day, and all went for some Thai food to go with the
Taijutsu we had been practicing.

Sunday morning Shidoshi Rich Cearley began with basic meditation
techniques. He explained that using this method takes very little
time and will help calm your mind and help your concentration. I
have used it for ADD and ADHD kids with my kids class and it works
wonders. Then Rich showed some amazing taijutsu from Shinden Fudo
Ryu, with henka using some of Betos wrist controls.

Shidoshi Travis Anderson then showed "Fluffy Bunny Ryu". It looks
like a surrender position but by rotating on the ball of your foot
or heal puts you at the proper distance to keep from being hit and
control your opponents balance. My daughter got it so well she threw
me and hit me in the head as I started to get up and put me down
hard. He explained you start like a bunny and finish like a dragon.

We took a short snack break and Shidoshi Raj Yadav M.D. introduced
the more aggressive methods of straight in on the opponent to
disrupt balance and control the uke with 3 points of contact. It is
fun watching Raj who is not to tall use a guy that towers over him
to demonstrate how well proper taijutsu works.

Shidoshi Dave Bolin finished the weekend working on making a small
movement against an attack so the uke thinks they hit you. Which
sets them up for a follow up technique when the second punch comes
at you. He then went over ways to receive and attack with a hanbo or
sword that puts you in a safe position while not taking too much
impact.

We skipped lunch and went to an early dinner of sushi and had a
great time comparing bruises. We will do it again next year and this fall will have a ground /
grappling seminar with Kurt Haines. In November Judan Bob
Higginbotham will be coming up from New Zealand and teaching a
seminar. On December 3rd we will do our annual Dai Komyo Sai.
Training in Houston has evolved into an incredible opportunity with
9 shidoshi in and around town. All get together to share what they
have learned in the 25 years since the Bujinkan started in Houston.

We will have tapes of all the seminars available and hope to see
those who missed this one at a future seminar.